


Moonbow

by Rikkamaru



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Basketball, Friendship, Gen, Kuroko gets special training from Nijimura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-30 10:32:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12651831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rikkamaru/pseuds/Rikkamaru
Summary: What would have happened if Nijimura had taken more of an interest in one Kuroko Tetsuya? A better start to his middle school career, that's what.





	Moonbow

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote most of this two years ago, but then decided to wrap it up and post it.

Tetsuya knew that, despite being a recognized member of the first-string basketball team, he wasn’t going to play in any games unless he got more practice in. And the best way to do that would be to approach another first-string member, perhaps a second or third-year who could give him advice. 

Waiting until the others had cleared out and only the teen cleaning up the equipment was left, Tetsuya approached him. “Excuse me,” he said, unsurprised when the other boy spun around and shrieked at his “sudden” appearance. Once he had calmed down, Tetsuya continued. “Do you think you could help me with improving my play?”

The third-year sneered and looked away. “Why the hell would I do that? If I want to play, I can’t be giving away information like the stuff’s candy.”

Tetsuya frowned. “But our motto is ‘Victory No Matter What.’ Wouldn’t it therefore be best if you did pass on hints and information to others?”

The other boy scoffed. “Not at the cost of losing time to play.”

The first-year was about to argue back when a voice cut in. “What was that, Kasuka?” The two turned, and Tetsuya watched as the third-year paled to a sickly color when he registered their captain standing nearby with a scowl on his face. Beside him, his second vice-captain seemed equally displeased, frowning rather harshly at his terrified year mate.

“Ah – Captain – That is – Uh –”

“Shut up,” Nijimura barked, walking closer and somehow managing to look down on the other boy who was a few centimeters taller than him. His hand shot out and snagged the third-year’s shirt collar, bringing him closer and the boy flinched from his captain’s burning gaze. Whatever he saw seemed to confirm what he’d heard earlier, and Nijimura shoved the boy away and opened his hand to accept the clipboard from his present vice-captain. “You’ve been demoted, Kasuka. Consider yourself on the second-string from now on.”

Kasuka gaped at his captain, before somewhat regaining himself. “Captain, what?! Why?!”

The vice-captain scoffed and answered for his superior. “If you’re not going to give everything you can for this team, _including_ information when asked for it, then you don’t belong in the first-string. Please see yourself out, Kasuka-san.”

The third-year glared at Tetsuya and the vice-captain before turning and storming out in a huff. Once the door had banged shut, Nijimura looked up from the clipboard and held Tetsuya in place with his gaze. “Sorry you had to see that, Kuroko.”

Tetsuya waved it away. “It’s fine Captain. I shouldn’t have frustrated him so much.”

Nijimura looked skeptical at that. “…Right. Speaking of that, what exactly happened to make him so upset?” Before Tetsuya could open his mouth to dismiss it, the captain’s eyes narrowed. “And don’t you dare lie to me or say it was nothing. This affects the team, so it is my concern.”

Tetsuya deflated a little at that. “I was asking him if he could help me improve my play.” The blue-haired boy waited for a laugh or a snide comment but, upon not receiving one, looked up. Nijimura was still looking at him, but in approval to Tetsuya’s astonishment. The vice-captain, who had begun clean up in place of the demoted player, was looking at Tetsuya in pleasant surprise also, shooting the extra basketballs into the wire basket without looking.

“It’s good to hear one of you first-year brats actually asking for help,” Nijimura admitted, eyes narrowing as he smiled wanly. “At least one of you doesn’t think they’re God’s gift to man. That’s rather reassuring.” The vice-captain snickered and Tetsuya wasn’t sure what to think of his captain’s sardonic tone. “Anyhow,” the tone had the first-year looking at his captain once more, a hopeful feeling forming in his stomach, “it wouldn’t be practical for me to train you one-on-one after practice. Instead, I could bring you to the remedial practices we hold.”

“Remedial practices, Captain?” Tetsuya asked. How had he not heard of these before?

“Yep. They’re like they sound; extra practices where those who are struggling go to improve themselves. I also use it to set up scrimmages so that the lesser used players get some experience and can work off some steam. Only those who are struggling and seek those in the know for help are aware of them, that’s why none of you brats knew about them.”

“Does Coach know about them?” Tetsuya couldn’t see someone like Sanada allowing this to happen.

“He shouldn’t. After all, I’m the one who came up with the idea last year. If he does know, he probably doesn’t have enough evidence to stop us or simply doesn’t care. It’s hard to tell with that guy at times.” The vice-captain looked amused at his leader’s ramblings, but didn’t comment.

Tetsuya however was caught up in the first part of his rambling. “You came up with the idea last year, Captain? How did you convince the first-string members to join you?”

The vice-captain – Tetsuya finally recalled his name, Seidou Tadashi – appeared confused for a moment, before an affronted look came over his features. “Wait, wait. You think Captain was a second-string last year?” At Tetsuya’s nod, the look intensified. “Don’t be ridiculous. Future captains have to be in their string for at least six months before being able to be nominated, and Nijimura made the practices his second month on the team.”

It took Tetsuya a moment to put all of the dots together, but when he did, it stunned him how surprised he was. “Captain was immediately put onto the first-string in his first year here?”

Seidou grinned. “Yep. You guys weren’t the first jaw-droppers; that was Nijimura all the way.”

“Shut up, Seidou.” But even as Nijimura said it, there was appreciation and embarrassment in his eyes. None of the first-years know this, Tetsuya realized, except perhaps Akashi, and to have his vice-captain show his pride in him and have it said aloud both embarrassed him and showed his team’s pride with their Captain. Tetsuya was somewhat sad to realize that the first-years were so detached from the rest of the team, but he wasn’t sure what could be done about it. “Getting back to the original subject,” Nijimura coughed, “we meet every Tuesday and Thursday. Seidou can show where to go the first time; is there a place he can meet up with you?”

“I typically go to Maji Burger with Aomine-kun after practice.”

Nijimura glanced at his vice-captain, who nodded. “He can meet you there tomorrow. See you then.” The second-year patted the blue-haired boy on the head and left, Seidou a step behind him.

Tetsuya stared after them for a moment, before a small smile graced his features.

* * *

Seidou was indeed at the Maji Burger after practice the next day. He seemed slightly startled by Tetsuya’s abrupt appearance, but didn’t say anything and simply patted him on the shoulder and began walking. Tetsuya waved goodbye to Aomine, who nodded back, and hurried to join the dark-haired boy to where the practices were. They walked in silence that was only interrupted by Tetsuya as he drank his vanilla milkshake.

It took five minutes to arrive at the court they were going to practice at. It was rather out of the way, but only in that it was far enough from Teikou that none of the staff would find them and was not accessible by car. The players were already beginning warm-ups, and Tetsuya was actually surprised to see third and second-string members there alongside the first-string members, all of them acting cordially with one another despite the competitive tension which hung in the air.

“I see you two made it.” Seidou and Tetsuya turned around, greeting their captain. Nijimura was dressed like he usually was for practice, but with a whistle hanging from his neck as well. “I hope you didn’t eat too much,” he warned the first-year, leading them towards the others. “I remember that you have a rather weak stomach when the exercise gets too much.”

Tetsuya did his best to hide his embarrassment and got in line when the captain blew on his whistle, prompting all of the players warming up to gather around them. “We have a new player joining us today,” Nijimura announced, placing his hand on Tetsuya’s shoulder to better point him out. “Treat him as you would anyone else.”

“Hai!”

“Good.” He nodded, and pushed Tetsuya a little to join the group. “We’ll start with some laps and ball-handling drills, and move on from there.”

The laps were easy, punishing for third-string players but nothing more than a warm-up for the first-string members. Tetsuya, a newer player for first-string, was still tired by the end of it, but was surprised to see that there was already progress from his time on the third-string. Nijimura was keeping an eye on all of them, doing simple stretches and warm-up drills without taking his eyes off of the trainees.

The ball handling drills were also fairly simple, though difficult for Tetsuya since he didn’t usually hold onto the ball for very long, which made doing the drills much more helpful to the shadow than it might have been for a typical first-string member.

After that they did something that Tetsuya had never seen done in practice before: intensive passing drills.

A group of six would form, with one on the middle and five in a pentagon around him. One would pass the ball the person in the middle, and he had to respond almost immediately. The passer would call where the ball was supposed to go, and the middle player had to get it to them to the best of their ability. It was very reaction-based, and required quick reflexes and the ability to not get lost in the motions of the practice.

Tetsuya was amazing there. Once he had an idea of where each person was, it was easy to begin passing to them. The bluenet was very reaction-based due to his training in passing and so, when the drill had them begin moving around him, it was still with enviable ease that Tetsuya did the drill. After a few minutes however another person was sent to middle and Tetsuya to the edges, with the warning to use slower passes than the ones used in the first-string practices. When he questioned Nijimura about it, the captain grunted and flicked him on the forehead. “Think of it as training to adapt to the situation. If you can’t pass to match the person, it doesn’t matter how good you are at it. It’ll fall out of their hands and then where will we be?”

So the shadow learned to gauge how quickly to pass the ball, and even learned to speak up a little or else they wouldn’t know where to pass the ball to. Seidou, who was drifting from group to group alongside Nijimura, nodded in approval as he watched their group and said something to the captain who nodded back curtly.

Too soon the passing drills ended and they began doing layup drills, which Tetsuya again struggled with, especially as he hadn’t regain a lot of energy during the passing drills. Once they moved on to include passing between teammates who would then perform the layup themselves Tetsuya was a lot better, though the others passing to _him_ to do a layup was still…odd.

After more of these, people were separated into random groups to do scrimmages (though Tetsuya was quick to notice that it was a mostly even balance on members of the different strings to keep it evenly balanced), and he was sent to take a breather as Nijimura had probably seen he was flagging.

He smiled a little at his captain in thanks as he was handed a water bottle and turned to observe the scrimmage, taking in the captains and strategies being made and remade.

He hopes he can show Nijimura that he wasn’t making a mistake with inviting him to these practices.


End file.
